Chapter 17
SEVENTEEN
MALIK
Coach agreed to let us celebrate our win with a few beers in the hotel lobby, so after the post-game rituals and showers I headed into the bar with Grey, Tex, Masters and James. We were meeting Coley and Bailey there.
We pushed a few tables together, ordered a round of beer and sat around them, reminiscing about the game, Bailey’s touchdown and Grey’s. With my chest swelling for Grey, I laid my hand on his thigh. Fuck it, no one could see it, and I wanted to be close to him.
“I don’t know, Moore, I think you might take some of Thompson’s field time when he comes back.” Bailey sipped a beer, focusing on me. “How do you feel about that, Thompson?”
“I’m great with it. I want to see him play.
” Squeezing Grey’s thigh, I said, “We have big plans for the combine when the season ends, and for that, he needs field experience.” I was secure in my abilities and not a competitive ass, unlike some of the other players.
It was a trait that would serve me well in the draft. It wasn’t always all about skill.
As Grey’s cheeks flushed, a grin swept his lips. “You know Thompson won’t lose his starting position. He’s too good.” He covered my hand with his under the table.
“You two sure have an interesting dynamic.” James eyed me. “I don’t know any guy I’d want to live with, play with and hang out with all the time. But the two of you never get sick of each other.”
Tex’s brow ticked as his gaze met mine. He knew why. We were a couple, plain and simple.
“Yeah, well, when you understand each other, it works.” My hand left Grey’s thigh, and I wound an arm around his shoulders. “No one gets me better than Grey.” As warmth filtered through my body, I pulled him to my side. “Right, buddy?”
“Right.” He pressed his head against mine. “Malik knows shit about me that no one else does.” With a snicker, he drank his beer.
“Yeah? Like what?” Bailey peered at Grey.
“If I told you, then he wouldn’t be the only one.” Grey flashed him a smirk.
Tex rolled his eyes and huffed a sigh. “Oh, brother.”
Whispering in Grey’s ear, I said, “Drink up. I’d like to do those things only I know about.”
He raked his teeth across his lower lip and adjusted himself, palming the growing bulge in his joggers.
“Fucking Bailey forced us to have another beer.” Grey, with his arm draped around my waist, strolled with me to our hotel room door and then opened it. “All I could think about was sex after you whispered in my ear.”
“Yeah, you had a raging hard-on most of the night. Don’t think I didn’t see it.” I slapped his ass as I followed him inside. “Speaking of which…” I shoved him onto the bed as he strolled past it. “Get undressed.” I shucked off my shirt and dropped my underwear and joggers, then stepped out of them.
“Hell yes.” After slipping off his clothes, he threw them all on the floor, his dick stretching to his navel as he leaned back onto the pillows at the headboard. “What are we doing first?”
“What do you want?” I crawled up the bed and between his legs, then lowered onto him, chest to chest and hip to hip, our cocks pressing together.
“This is nice.” He cupped my cheek and brushed his thumb across it.
“Malik, I played well tonight because of you. You helped me see the openings in Mississippi’s defense.
You told me how to get away from Grady.” His lips flattened.
“I see what you’re doing. You’re doing everything you can to help make my NFL dreams come true.
Maybe even at the expense of your own career.
” His brows wrinkled as he gazed deeply into my eyes.
Fuck, can’t have him thinking the last part.
“Grey, I’m not sacrificing my career. This is my fourth year on the team.
Agents and scouts have four years of footage to use while evaluating me.
Having you on the field with me won’t change my chances.
” I pressed a lingering kiss on his lips.
“Besides, they make all the final decisions at the combine. If we’re both in the best shape possible and prepared, we’ll have a great shot at being picked. ”
“Okay, but don’t you dare sacrifice your chances for me. When you play again, do your best and don’t ask Coach to play me.” Pressing his lips together, he huffed.
“Grey, if Coach plays you instead of me, it’s because you earned it.
Despite what you may think, he doesn’t take orders from me.
” I licked his upper lip and rolled my hips, rubbing my solid cock against his.
“How about we go back to basics tonight and you let me jerk us off? You’ve got to be tired and sore. ”
“You always know what I need, Malik.” Closing his eyes, he thrust against me, a soft moan floating from his parted lips. “But we need lube.”
“Always.” We hadn’t had lube at camp, but it hadn’t stopped us. As I pressed slow kisses against his mouth, I pinched his nipple and rocked my hips, sensation pooling in my gut. I’d take it slow tonight and draw his orgasm from him.
He gasped and shuddered below me, his dick twitching. “Want you.” Opening his eyes, he claimed me in hungry kisses, his tongue slipping against mine.
Grabbing the ever-present lube on our nightstand, I left him for a beat as I rolled to the side and slicked my hand. “You ready for a little more?” I nipped at his lower lip.
“I’m always ready for more with you.” As the edge of his lip quirked, he kissed the tip of my nose and dug his fingers into my ass cheek.
If only he were ready to take us public. Fuck, not a great time to ponder that. Wrapping my hand around both our dicks, I stroked while thrusting against him. Pleasure burst inside me, jerking my cock and spilling precum.
“Oh, fuck.” He groaned and squeezed my ass while wrapping a hand around the back of my head, crushing our mouths together, our tongues caught in a carnal dance.
As I tugged us both, I lost myself in his kisses, full of emotion and heat. How could we ever turn this off? We couldn’t. It would break me. As I moaned into our kisses, I quickened my pace and a jolt of sensation spiraled up my spine. I had to be careful, or this would end too soon.
“Fuck, Malik, need you.” As he tipped his head back, his dick pulsed in my hand.
“Yeah? What do you need, Grey? Tell me.” I nipped kisses along his chin and sucked his earlobe into my mouth.
“You, I need you.” With a grunt, he thrust hard into my hand, the soft skin of his cock skimming mine. “Faster, please. Make me come.”
“Yeah?” I slowed my pace, biting his neck and then licking across it. “Not yet, baby.” As a rush of sensation swept over me, I popped my eyes open. Fucking hell, I called him baby, like we were boyfriends, like we were much more than friends who fucked. Would he even notice?
As his gaze found mine, he pressed a hard kiss on my lips. “Do it again. Call me your baby.” He flicked his tongue across my lips while rocking his hips, his cock leaking into my hand. “I want to be yours, Malik.”
My heart burst with emotion. How much more could I endure and not spill my truth? That I fucking loved him? Every time we were together like this, it was harder to hold it in. The edge of climax flashed inside me, my cock growing sensitive and balls filling. “Come for me, baby. Let go.”
As I devoured his mouth in heated kisses, he whimpered and his dick pulsated, spilling his hot cum into my hand and spurting onto his chest. As I milked his orgasm from him, I plunged over the edge, pumping faster while pleasure tingled all the way to my toes.
I left his mouth as ragged gasps tore from my throat, my vision hazing, and I buried my face in his neck.
When it all slowed, I panted against his skin. This friends with benefits agreement might have become a dangerous game. I was investing so much in him, and he still had to date the women his father set him up with. Would it end in a broken heart for me?
“Hey, Malik.” He kissed the side of my hair. “What’s going on inside your head? You’re too quiet.”
Hell, I couldn’t tell him the truth. Would it cause him to want to stop this? I couldn’t stop. “I don’t know, just, uh, tired, I guess.” What a fucking cop-out. But I was terrified. I had to trust him and know that he was doing the best he could with a fucked-up situation.
“Tired? I’m the one who played in the game tonight.
” A chuckle rumbled through his chest. “There’s something you’re not telling me.
I know you too well, Malik.” He kissed my head.
“But I also know you’ll tell me when you’re ready.
” Draping his arms around me, he squeezed me.
“Love you, man. Now let’s clean up and sleep. We have another big day tomorrow.”
“Love you too, man.” Fucking hell, it almost sounded stupid to say this with all we shared. I peeled off his chest, planted a quick kiss on his lips and made my way into the bathroom.
A month later, I was playing again with Coach, mixing it up, making sure Grey had some time at the end of our games when we were ahead. It ensured I remained injury-free and gave him much-needed time on the field.
I’d spoken with Dennis Brenner, Casey’s agent, and had agreed to sign with him at the end of the season if he’d consider looking at Grey. Since I was injured, he had already seen his footage, so it wasn’t a hard sell.
Halloween had passed with us traveling to play an away game in Texas. We’d settled into a nice routine of classes, studying and football, mostly keeping to ourselves at home, where we could spend time together without prying eyes.
He’d kept up with Ella while out of earshot from me, and I listened to the complaints about her, secretly happy about it. If he was unhappy with her, it gave me validation. I needed to wait this out.
A week before Thanksgiving and our eventual dates with Ella and Tiffany, I sat at our dinette, working on an assignment for my genetics class, when my phone rang on the table. I picked it up and glanced at Grey, sitting across from me.
“Who is it?” He creased his brows.